2023-10-21 07:58:00
(Motorsport-Total.com) – Thomas Preining (Manthey-EMA-Porsche) took pole position for Saturday’s race at the DTM qualifying on Saturday in Hockenheim. The Austrian lapped the Grand Prix course in the first part of the title finale in 1:37.148 minutes and extended his lead in the championship to 13 points (click here for the result).
Thomas Preining made a possible preliminary decision in qualifying
Starting next to him in the front row is sensationally Christian Engelhart, who is returning to the DTM following the Porsche release and is driving the Grasser Lamborghini for the first time this season. He was 0.137 seconds short. Two other drivers from Porsche and Lamborghini, Dennis Olsen and Franck Perera, start in the second row.
“There are certainly routes where the pole is more valuable,” the “Grello” driver adds ran.de the importance of the pole, because overtaking is easy at the Hockenheimring. “But basically three points aren’t bad and starting from the front with Dennis right on your back is a good feeling,” he says, pleased that Manthey-EMA team-mate Olsen is also positioned at the front.
Bortolotti’s best time canceled due to track limits
Will there be any arrangements with your teammate for the race? “There are no agreements. But basically our goal is to get the first double podium of the year for the team,” said Preining, who knows that this would mean his title rivals would lose further ground.
The big story of the qualifying, which took place in dry conditions and an air temperature of around 16 degrees, is Mirko Bortolotti (SSR-Lamborghini), who mightn’t get past eighth place with a lap time of 1:37.577 and is 0.429 seconds behind. The Italian previously clocked a 1:37.0, but this lap was revoked due to a track limit violation.
During the interview with ran.de he is taciturn. “We first have to analyze this and understand what happened and why we are so far behind,” says the Italian who lives in Vienna. His SSR Lamborghini “feels very good” and we now have to try to “do something with the position”.
Feller is hoping for a bigger restrictor
Qualifying didn’t go as planned for Abt Audi driver Feller, who is now 34 points behind in the championship: he ended up in seventh place, 0.419 seconds behind, directly ahead of Bortolotti. And complains regarding the balance of performance. “It’s not that I’m surprised,” he shrugs ran.de with your shoulders.
“We saw at the Red Bull Ring that we had no chance in qualifying and the race. We also saw it a little bit in the test last week, although you have to take that into account with some reservations. But now we have of course seen it clearly .”
Feller is still mourning the greater restriction that Abt and Audi had already demanded before the Spielberg weekend. “I lost four tenths in the sector where the longest straights are. That shows where we are lacking. It was the same at the Red Bull Ring, uphill. Last year we had a bigger restrictor from Saturday to Sunday. Now I hope that might be the case here too.”
Sheldon van der Linde loses last chance for the title
Even if it doesn’t look like rain at the moment, Feller wouldn’t complain regarding the unpredictable weather in the followingnoon. “Maybe not completely wet, but half wet. Slicks in the rain or something like that, that would be great,” grins the Abt Audi driver, who starts one place behind his teammate Kelvin van der Linde.
By the way, brother Sheldon van der Linde is now finally out of the title race, as the South African Schubert BMW driver mightn’t get past 27th place, 1.708 seconds behind. As a result, he is now 55 points behind in the championship, with only 53 points up for grabs. Qualifying didn’t go as planned for Mercedes-AMG either: HRT driver Luca Stolz finished tenth, 0.504 seconds behind, as the best driver of the brand with the star.
The Saturday race, in which Preining might theoretically secure the title, will start as usual at 1:30 p.m. (all information regarding TV times, stream, etc.).
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